Your Mental Wellbeing

Morning Everyone! As promised, my **WELL-BEINGS formula** I've been working on, a mnemonic (as a handy reminder) with key criteria for boosting your wellbeing and happiness and staying healthy & well as a human being in daily life.
Many of these are based on psychological research but also expert opinion and my 10 years experience working in mental health and own personal wellbeing journey. I'm sure many of my professional colleagues would agree with several of these criteria too. I hope to make a wee video to speak to the formula for you later too. But do remember, anything that keeps you well, regulates you and gives you reasons for living is also a wellbeing priority for you. 🫵 Anything I've missed or you would add to this list? 🪷

Do you feel the pull of the ocean? Drawn towards water and blue spaces? These environments may be giving our brains a rest while also activating receptors to release e.g. dopamine. This could be why you feel calm and content by the seaside! 🩵🌊

Could some free blue space therapy help with the blues? 😄🌊💙⛲
I spent a couple of days away by the coast recently (picture from the Scottish Borders) being very close to and immersed in blue spaces and felt benefits in my mood, sleep and overall wellbeing. It made me curious about the power of water and the science behind the impact of the sea, lakes, rivers, canals, waterfalls, even fountains upon us. I've listed numerous health benefits below and referred to some theories regarding how these may be generated. It's certainly convinced me to schedule in blue spaces for wellbeing when and where I can. Are you close to a blue (water) space however simple or small?

This was me honouring one of my wellbeing priorities, finding my way to water in my microvan (happy place) at the w.end and reading about the benefits of nature and blue environments.
Mood = Sea Chill 🩵

🌊 Find your way to water 🌊
"Being by the water is an autonomically regulating and restorative experience. Locate the places around you that offer you the opportunity to be in a blue environment, Look toward the ocean, rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, and fountains in city parks.

Being in the water brings its own benefits. Cool water experiences have been shown to bring a sympathetic nervous system response, and immersion in warm water lowers sympathetic activation and increases ventral vagal influence. Find a way to immerse yourself in the temperature of water that fits your autonomic need in the moment." 🪷
~ Deb Dana

Wellbeing is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy". The WHO describes wellbeing as also encompassing quality of life and the ability of people and societies to contribute to the world with a sense of meaning and purpose.
Kicking off what are your top 3 priorities for your wellbeing? I made a quick graphic you can save to your phone to remind yourself and reflect upon what wellbeing means to you and why your priorities are important to you! Wellbeing can be a very individual thing; though there is lots of research that demonstrates what is good for our wellbeing, I'd love to know what are the specific things that boosts yours? 🪷

It's World Wellbeing Week this week!! What activities are you doing to help your wellbeing?

It’s World WellBeing Week this week 🤩🎉

How are YOU celebrating?

Lots going on all over the world.

Share your activities using the hashtag and we’ll add your details into our updates.

https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/world-wellbeing-week-2024/

Say YES if you do this or are willing to try.

Some days staying positive and upbeat can feel like an uphill battle. Maybe it was a stressful day at work, a fight with a friend, or even just an off day — whatever it is, there are definitely things you can do to improve your mood. And one of them is walking.

Can walking boost your mood? Can it help you deal with life stress? Can it help you work through relationship problems? Can it lead to a deeper spiritual life? For many, the answer is yes. Walking can help relieve stress. Walking gives you time to think, as well as time to get away from stressors. Getting out of the stressful environment, breathing the air, and feeling your body move is natural stress-relief.

A study published in 2018 showed that even a short bout of walking lasting just 10 minutes can improve mood in young adults when compared to no activity at all. Researchers also noted that a short bout of meditation had the same effect.

There's no reason a bad mood should ruin your day — or even a portion of your day. Oftentimes when we're down about something at work or a minor interpersonal conflict, a quick boost is definitely within your grasp; you just need a conscious desire to feel better and a willingness to literally take steps towards it.

Planning any appointments with the Doc over the w.end? 😅 ☀️🌊😌🌬️🏃‍♀️🥦

So how do we actually practice radical acceptance? I know I, for one, appreciate a step-by-step guide! 😅
Here are the 10 steps to practicing Radical Acceptance according to Dialectical Behaviour Therapy founder & Psychologist Dr. Marsha Linehan.
Step 5 a key one: listing the behaviours you would engage in if you did accept reality and then engage in them! Possibly easier said than done! 😅🪷

When you are coming up against points of resistance, uncomfortable feelings of non-acceptance and compelling urges to react and alter your reality, here are some radical acceptance coping statements that may help ease your suffering in these moments! 🪷

Who needs some radical acceptance of their weather conditions? 😅🌧️☀️⛈️ I know in Scotland we rarely quite get the weather we hope for and what hardly seems like a summer anymore! However, wishing for the weather to be different can contribute to our emotional suffering. This picture is a face of acceptance taken at the top of a Highland mountain at the weekend in wet and windy conditions. I was a little sad to miss the views but a few other things helped with embracing our reality along the way.
Firstly, if you've lived in Scotland as long as I have, you learn to manage your expectations with the weather, I expected changeable & wet conditions therefore was less perturbed when we were met with them. Secondly, staying in the present moment, I savoured the views and any moments of fair weather and relief from the rain on the way up which reduced my disappointment with the gloomy conditions at the top. And finally, when the harsh reality & weather front hits, rather than wishing for it to be different or having your day ruined, do or bring something that makes it more bearable...enjoyable even. Highly recommend a portable bothy/rain or wind shield to any hillwalkers. 🧡 The weather brightened again for the descent; the reminder that each storm passes allows for less resistance to and greater acceptance of life also. 🪷

Closing out I had posted last week about research that has found individuals who tend to feel more gratitude ⬆️ also tend to experience less loneliness ⬇️. They are yet to understand more about this association but here is a graphic I made previously which may explain some reasons why gratitude practice helps with feeling lonely! 🙏🪷
https://www.psypost.org/gratitude-robustly-predicts-reduced-loneliness-comprehensive-study-shows/

Today can be a hard day for many people, for a lot of reasons. If you're finding it tough, know that we're just a text away. Our service is free, 24/7, silent and confidential.

Sending our love to all of you on – especially to those struggling on a day that can be tough for all sorts of reasons 💙

Thank you to (Insta) for the lovely illustration.

For great article by NavoMind and my Ex-colleague & Psychologist on Loneliness in the digital world! Could digital tools and communication be reducing true human connection and weakening social bonds?
The article suggests our digital world "demands our conscious engagement to ensure it serves to enhance rather than detract from our quality of life." It goes on to describe how we can break out of cycles of loneliness and disconnection and build healthier, more connected communities!📱🤝 ⤵️
https://www.navomind.com/tackling_loneliness

Loneliness in Our Digital World Digital advancements increase isolation, blurring life's boundaries and intensifying loneliness, urging a reevaluation of our digital habits for better social wellbeing.

Reconnecting with ourselves and nature, great keynote speech by Geo-Therapist Ruth Allen at the Mental Wellbeing in Higher Education recharge event this week. Reflecting upon how we were conditioned into this work, healing our inner 'good child' and challenging for some...'Why is work more important than health and wellbeing? 🪷

Fantastic Mental Wellbeing in Higher Education Recharge event for professionals and practitioners this week at the beautiful location of Glenmore Lodge & Loch Morlich with its own beach. Learning about Outdoor therapy, Creative movement, Mindful Photography, embodied approaches and even bouldering therapy. Great to learn, chat and recharge with so many other like-minded, hard-working professionals doing great work! Thanks to the organisers and my work for the opportunity!🙏 Advance HE

It's also 😅 Check out this recent comprehensive meta-analysis research, which synthesized data from 26 studies finding an association between gratitude and loneliness. In other words, individuals who tend to feel more gratitude also tend to experience less loneliness. 🪷

Gratitude robustly predicts reduced loneliness, comprehensive study shows New research shows that people who feel more gratitude tend to experience less loneliness. The study, analyzing 26 previous studies, highlights the potential of gratitude to enhance social connections and reduce feelings of isolation.

For check out the range of support, courses, and peer spaces offered by Health in Mind to support the mental health and well-being of carers. Their safe spaces provide time for carers to explore ways to stay well and connect with a community of fellow carers for peer support!

Find out more about our support for carers: https://lght.ly/c3g3mmb

Millions of people across the UK provide unpaid care for family and friends with disabilities, illnesses, mental health conditions, or those needing extra help as they age. While their support is invaluable, it often comes at a cost to their own health and financial resilience.

At Health in Mind, we recognize the challenges carers face, from isolation to finding time for self-care. That's why we offer a range of support, courses, and peer spaces designed to support the mental health and well-being of carers. Our safe spaces provide time for carers to explore ways to stay well and connect with a community of fellow carers for peer support.

Find out more about our support for carers: https://lght.ly/c3g3mmb

Join us in celebrating and supporting carers this week. Let's put carers on the map! 💛

On my little radical acceptance exploration and journey this week I've been reflecting particularly around the area I find most challenging i.e. acceptance of other people especially when their challenging behaviour impacts us adversely. I found practicing RA was as much about reducing some tendencies as encouraging others and I still don't know if I am doing it right, but I imagine it's a life long skill to master. I started with becoming aware of my points of resistance and evaluating my need for and level of control in various scenarios in my life. I found reducing overthinking/dwelling & the impulse to react to everything helped with acceptance, not a resignation or lack of assertion but a slight stepping back helped ease some emotional suffering. And certainly a kinder, less judgemental attitude helps though a challenge if we feel we are being hurt or impacted unfairly.
How do you practice radical acceptance? Anything you do or refrain from doing in particular that helps?
Tara Brach 🪷 Your Mental Wellbeing

It's also 🫶

It’s Men’s Health Week, remember this 🩵

What radical acceptance is...and what it is not! ⤵️
"This approach boils down to preventing our pain from turning into suffering, as regularly practicing radical acceptance can help us cope with painful emotions by allowing ourselves to move on. Therapies that include radical acceptance are focused on helping clients respond to challenging events skillfully instead of becoming overpowered by reactive behavior". 🪷

Have you ever embraced your reality fully, without judgment, even when it is out of your control? It might just be that radical acceptance, rather than change, holds the power to increase wellbeing and allow us to experience inner peace.

While the theory of radical acceptance originates from Buddhist teachings, the term was first coined in 1993 by Marsha Linehan — the same psychologist who developed dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). At its core, radical acceptance is a practice that involves accepting emotions, thoughts, and circumstances that are unchangeable or out of our control. To radically accept means to completely recognize and make peace with our reality, even when it includes pain or discomfort.

At the same time, it is essential to address some misconceptions and understand what radical acceptance is not. It does not mean putting your 'stamp of approval' on injustice or a painful event, nor does it equal passively throwing your hands up and giving in. It does not signify waving a white flag and surrendering. Instead, radical acceptance is about acknowledging that we cannot change a situation although we might not agree with the event in the first place.

This approach boils down to preventing our pain from turning into suffering, as regularly practicing radical acceptance can help us cope with painful emotions by allowing ourselves to move on. Therapies that include radical acceptance are focused on helping clients respond to challenging events skillfully instead of becoming overpowered by reactive behavior. These therapies have been found effective in reducing substance use and relapse (Bowen et al., 2012), anxiety (Roemer et al., 2008), suicidality (DeCou et al., 2019), and chronic pain (Hann & McCracken, 2014).

As a tool, radical acceptance can help people accept themselves wholeheartedly and increase wellbeing (Kotsu et al., 2018). It plays a pivotal role in building resilience, consequently making people less likely to develop emotional disorders.

What is one act of acceptance that has brought you peace? Share your experience below!

Saying YES to your entire imperfect, messy life! 🪷 How liberating could that feel? Tara Brach